Playing piece



P. LEVY PLAYiNG PIECE July 6, 1948.

Filed April 2, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I n I I I IA'IIIII 4 III! P. LEVY PLAYING PIECE 'Jul 6, 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2, 1946 0 INVENT'OR BY mimum ATTORNEY Patented July 6, 1948 UNITED STATES name-hr or ies 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a game element, such aschecker men and the like, and particularly to a structure permitting the change of height of the game element during the game, thereby changing the value or the character of said game element.

An object of the invention is to change the height of the game element by varying the relative position of two parts constituting said element.

It iszanother object of the invention to lock or hold the parts constituting the game element in different relative positions.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an automatic locking device to be operated by two fingers of one hand of the player.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the detailed description to follow, taken with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an axial section taken on the line ture as Fig. l, with the parts in position after the height of the game element has been increased.

Fig; 4 shows the game element in side elevation with the parts in the same position as in Fig. 3.

Fig, 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 1, the spiral spring between the two parts of the game element being omitted.

Fig.6 is an axial section through another-embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 7 is an axial section similar to Fig. 6, showing the'position of the parts after the height of the game element has been increased.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8-43 in Fig, 7.

The drawing illustrates the construction of a game element composed of two cup-shaped parts, I and 2, the part 2 fitting into the part I. The bottoms of the cups I and 2 are situated at opposite sides of the side walls'so that the bottom ofeach cup is at the same time a cover of the other cup. The two parts are therefore telescopically displaceable toward each other and the height of the disc formed by said parts may be varied by such a displacement. In the hollow space enclosed by the cups 5 and 2 is arranged the mechanism for holding and locking the said parts in the desired relative position, Said mechanism comprises two locking bolts or plates, 3 and. 4, attached to two Springs 5 and 6, carried by a bridge or disc, 1. The plate-s 3 and 4 pass through slots 8 and 9 in the Wall of the inner" cup 2 and through T-shaped slots I0 and II in a The Width of the larger parts IOa and Na of the slots I0 and II the wall of the outer cup I.

corresponds to the width of the plates 3 and 4,

whereas the Width of the smaller parts Il b' and-w Nb of said slots corresponds to the distance between the bottom of two notches I2 and I3 respectivelyprovided in-each of the plates 3 ancl l: -The height of the slots Ill and II corresponds-to the maximum increase of the height of the game element. corresponds to the difference in size between the outer diameter of the outer cup I and the inner diameter of the inner cup. 2.

Between th bridge or disc I and the bottom of the cup I a spring I4 is arranged, said spring pressing the'cups I and 2 outwardly in opposite directions;

The outer ends of the locking bolts or plates 3 and 4 areshaped so as to'form handles [5 and I6 adapted to actuate the locking mechanism-by exercising a pressure on said handles by two fingers of one hand of the player.

With the parts in the-position in Figs-1, 2,

the plates 3 and 4 passing through the slots 8 and 9 of the inner cup 2 and the larger parts Illa and Ila of the slotsIIl and II of the outer cup I preventany relative movement of the cups I and 2. If; however, a pressure is exerted on the handles l5 and IS the plates 3 and 4 are moved inwardly from the position. 'shown'in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 3, compressing the M. The plates 3 "and 4 sliding down until they .reach the lower borders of slots ID and II carry the cup 2 down to .the position shown in Figs. 1 and2, whereby the increase of the height of. the game element corresponding to the length of the slot Ill is obtained. 7

In order to reducethe height of the game element, it is necessary only to exert a pressure on the bottom of cups I and 2 by two fingers of;one

hand, or to exert a pressure: on the top of the upper cup when the game element is resting on. a checker board or the like, whereby the cup 2 assumes the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, at the same time compressing the spring I4. When the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is reached the plates 3 and I are at the same level as the larger parts Illa and I I a of the slots I0 and II in the The width of .the notches IZ and I3 i' cup I and are therefore allowed to slide outwardly under the pressure of springs 5 and 5, thereb locking the parts in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8 the upper cup i1 is deplaceable within the lower cup l8 and is provided with grooves I9 which are parallel to the geometrical axis or the cups. Pins 20 inserted in radial holes in the wall ofthe lower cup 18 are projecting into said grooves 19 in order to form a guide for the relative movement of the cups. The bottom of the cup IT projects over theside wall of said cup, the diameter of the projection Ila corresponding about to the outer diameter of the side Wall of the cup I8.

The lower cup i8 is adapted to receive a fiat spring 2! whose ends penetrate through radial slots 22 in the side wall of said cup l8, and provided at the outside of the cup with handles 23. The spring 2| is bent so as to form two upwardly extending arcs which carry at their outside wedgelike members 2 3, which cooperate with similar member 25 provided at the inside of the side wall of the upper cup H at the lower border of said cup l'i. In order to prevent undesirable movements of the spring 2t 9. boss 26 is provided at the bottom of the lower cup i8, which pens-- trates through a hole in the central part 2m of spring 2 l. The spring Z'L'ivhich acts against the bottoms of the cups l'l, Hl is arranged between the arcs of the spring 2i.

In the position shown in Fig. 6, the cup I? assumes its lowermost position within the cup is, the spring 121 being compressed, and the wedges 24 overlapping the wedges 215 prevent any increase of the distance between the bottoms of cups H and l 8. In order to bring the parts to the position shown in Fig. '7 the spring 2| is compressed by moving the handles 23 toward'each other, which movement may be effected by the thumb and another finger of one hand. The wedges 2 3 and 25 are thereby brought out of contact, allowing the cup ii to move out of the cup l8 under the influence of the expanding spring 2'1 until the pins again reach the lower ends of the grooves l9.

In order to reduce again the height of the game element a pressure is exerted on the bottoms of the cups H .and i8 in opposite directions or on the bottom of the cup i! when the cup i8 is resting on achecker board or table, whereby the cup I! is moved into the cup 88 until the wedges 24- and 2.5 are in contact. The inclined faces of wedges 24 are then sliding along the inclined faces of wedges 25, compressing the arcs of the spring H by wedge action until the edges of wedges v2 pass the edges of wedges 25, whereupon the spring 2| expands, thereby causing the wedges 25 to overlap the wedges 24 and to lock the cups in the position shown in Fig. 6.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs.

6 to 8 has the advantage over the structure shovm in Figs. 1 to 5 that only the outer cup has to be provided with slots in the wall,"and that these slots may correspond to the cross section of the spring whose ends penetrate the side walls of said cup. A better closure of the hollow game element is thereby obtained.

Although I have described and shown a checker man provided with a construction permitting a change of height according to my invention, I wish to state that my invention is not confined to the structure of a checker man or to the structures described in the foregoing specification and shown in the annexed drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the structures shown and described may undergo various changes or modifications without departing from the principles of my invention. For instance, the cups may be screwed together and may be held in the desired position without using a spring. I reserve the right to all such changes and modifications that come within the scope of my appended claims.

I claim:

1. A game element comprising two parts adapted to be moved towards each other or in opposite directions, a spring interposed between said parts and a locking device for holding said parts in depressed position when moved toward each other, the actuating means of said locking device passing through slots in the walls of said pieces.

2. A game element comprising two cup-shaped parts telescopically displaceable and spaced apart by a spring, and spring actuated locking bolts passing through slots in the side walls of said parts.

3. A game element as defined in claim 2, the springs actuating the locking bolts bein attached to a bridge provided in the hollow space between the cups.

4. A game element comprising two cup shaped parts telescopically displaceable and spaced apart by a spring, and a spring actuated locking device arranged between said parts to be operated by handles passing through slots provided in the walls of said cup shaped parts.

5. A game element comprising two cup shaped parts telescopically displaceable and spaced apart by a spring, and a spring actuated catch arranged between said parts, the ends of the spring actuating said catch passing through slots in the Wall of one of said cup shaped parts,

6. In a game element as defined in claim 2, T-shaped slots provided in the side Walls of one of the cups; two notches provided in each of the spring actuated locking bolts passing through the slots in the side walls of the two cup-shaped parts; the shape and the width of the larger parts of said T-shaped slots corresponding to the shape and width of the locking bolts, whereas the smaller part of said T-shaped slots corresponds to the distance of the bottom of the two notches provided in the locking bolts.

PAUL LEVY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 477,248 Davidson June 21, 1892 1,399,453 Winslow Dec. 6, 1921 

